The NFL trade deadline is rapidly approaching with less than a week to go and the Los Angeles Rams have gone from looking like a team that could be sellers to potentially becoming buyers. That’s what happens when you win two games in five days, completely changing the outlook of the season.
Teams have until No. 5 at 4 p.m. ET to make trades and it remains to be seen how active the Rams will be. They could use some help at inside linebacker, cornerback and possibly along the defensive line, but with Chris Shula’s unit hitting its stride, perhaps Los Angeles will stand pat.
Sean McVay was asked this week about the Rams’ plans for the deadline and he says it’s still too early to know how active the team will be, but they haven’t had talks about being sellers.
“I think it’s probably a little bit too early in terms of being actual buyers,” he said. “I know there have been a lot of conversations about the possibility of us selling. We haven’t really gotten into too many of those discussions. I think that’s always predicated on some of the dialogue that goes on behind the scenes between these teams. Obviously, things heat up as you get closer and closer to that deadline.”
McVay was asked specifically about adding an inside linebacker with that being a weak spot on defense, and now with the depth getting thin following Troy Reeder’s hamstring injury. He has confidence in Christian Rozeboom, Omar Speights and Jake Hummel in the interim so he doesn’t foresee the Rams bringing in linebacker help.
That could change, of course, especially if Los Angeles wins on Sunday and wants to make a push for the postseason.
“We’re a little bit thinner at that position, but I thought it was good to see Omar play the way that he did play. Jake Hummel played a handful of snaps as well, and then Rozeboom had his role,” McVay said. “We have some other guys that have some versatility to be able to play in those locations depending on the down and distance in specific situations. I would never say that anything would be ruled out in terms of the onboarding, but that’s not something that we’ve really dove into conversation-wise. But as you know, just even in years past those things can drastically or quickly change the closer that you get to that deadline being a real thing.”
The Rams have made some big in-season trades in recent years, acquiring Jalen Ramsey and Von Miller in blockbuster deals. A move of that magnitude probably isn’t in the cards this season, but with Les Snead, you never say never.
